Poverty Food

[pepperhead212]

I've never had a problem with chlorine in my bread, but I can imagine in some places how it could be a problem, with their Chlorox drinking water! Some places are so bad I could taste the chlorine from just a few ice cubes they would have in a glass of iced tea, FI.

When I first started baking bread, at school, I used to collect the beer "foam" out of the kegs (I didn't drink much beer, but I loved getting this!) into a huge stockpot I had, and bring it to a boil, to get rid of the alcohol, so the yeast can grow, and it was a great way to get that flavor in the breads - something I later accomplished with the preferments. I would freeze that, when I could get it, and use it in breads and pizza doughs, as well recipes I learned early on, that used beer - cheap when you're just using the leftovers, but not if you are buying beer just for the recipes, at least now.

[bower]

My grandmother made bread with "barm" that she made from hops. My mom would like to try and recreate that, if I can get her some hops this fall.
This recipe might be closest, but I doubt that my grandmother had any 'emptins' to work with.
https://www.innatthecrossroads.com/emptins-ale-barm/

[Tormato]

Just out of curiosity, I did a little math to figure out my cost per loaf.
The 113 gram jar of yeast at $5, light olive oil at $7 for 750 ml, works out to 12 cents a loaf for those and you can throw in the pinch of salt for a penny.
With the unbleached white flour gone up to $9 for 5 kilos, a white loaf will cost me 82 cents total.
Last spelt I bought was a whopping $23 for 2.5 kilos, so a loaf with one cup of spelt costs $1.72. More than double the price.
This is one reason I am trialing out grains because if I can grow my own spelt or other whole grain I can make delicious bread for less.
But still, with the price of a loaf of bread around $5, my cost is still less than half of retail by baking my own.
I have no way of reckoning in the energy cost of the hot water and the baking, but if that's a concern then the thing to do is bake 2 or 3 loaves at a time. I don't think household baking is a big energy cost.

Spelt - I haven't had a loaf of bread with spelt in it for a few years. To me, it's just about the best tasting bread that I've ever had. So, do I go searching through the 100s of different breads in the several local stores, and try to find a loaf?

[brownrexx]

I received some spelt as a foodie Christmas gift a couple of years ago. I had never heard of it before but when I baked some biscuits out of it I found it to be delicious. I have not had any since then.

[bower]

@Tormato I don't know about finding a loaf of spelt, that would depend on your local bakeries. I personally have never seen one here. But the spelt flour is available here and there, certainly on Amazon.
I agree 100%, the spelt is the most delicious of flours for bread. I grew two spelts this year, but haven't threshed (or shucked!) yet, and not sure how practical it is without special equipment to dehull them. But my spelt adventures are just beginning... !! It's adapted to the north anyway and is probably the most hardy grain out there. That is aside from being the most delicious!
I'm also hoping to get seed for a hullless spelt from a breeder in Washington. It is OSSI pledged but not commercially available. Fingers crossed I can get some to plant next fall and grow up the seed for a full patch and more.

[worth1]

Mesquite bean bread.
flour made from mesquite beans.

[Tormato]

Mesquite bean bread.
flour made from mesquite beans.

That sounds much like the Tuscarora Bread bean grown by the Iroquois of the northeast.

[Tormato]

@Tormato I don't know about finding a loaf of spelt, that would depend on your local bakeries. I personally have never seen one here. But the spelt flour is available here and there, certainly on Amazon.
I agree 100%, the spelt is the most delicious of flours for bread. I grew two spelts this year, but haven't threshed (or shucked!) yet, and not sure how practical it is without special equipment to dehull them. But my spelt adventures are just beginning... !! It's adapted to the north anyway and is probably the most hardy grain out there. That is aside from being the most delicious!
I'm also hoping to get seed for a hullless spelt from a breeder in Washington. It is OSSI pledged but not commercially available. Fingers crossed I can get some to plant next fall and grow up the seed for a full patch and more.

Elwha?

[karstopography]

Mesquite bean bread.
flour made from mesquite beans.

https://cappadonaranch.com/products/cap ... bean-flour

This mesquite bean flour is available for purchase. It is also a “Poverty” food as a person will likely soon be impoverished buying this powder at these prices!

[bower]

@Tormato Yep. Elwha River.

[worth1]

Mesquite bean bread.
flour made from mesquite beans.

https://cappadonaranch.com/products/cap ... bean-flour

This mesquite bean flour is available for purchase. It is also a “Poverty” food as a person will likely soon be impoverished buying this powder at these prices!

But it has rave reviews.
They probably make 300K a year.

[pepperhead212]

I figured you'd be growing, drying, and grinding the beans yourself, otherwise it definitely would not be a low price flour!

[karstopography]

I just ordered some spelt flour. Definitely cheaper than mesquite. I’m all in on a spelt focaccia.

[worth1]

I could get rich making mesquite flour in west Texas.

[Tormato]

And, I'd be in poverty making mesquite flour, up here, as we have no mesquite trees.

[worth1]

Mesquite beans are a West Texas pack rat favorite.

[worth1]

There's only one thing money can't buy and that's poverty.

[Sue_CT]

You know Tormato reminded me, a pound or two of whatever pasta is on sale with marinara, or EVOO with some salt, pepper and parm, a few chopped herbs or a sprinkling of dried italien seasoning if you have them, or even just butter, salt, pepper and parm will taste good and fill you up. Not highly nutritious, but will give you calories you need to prevent yourself from starving that is for sure.

[karstopography]

My daughter lived on Pasta with melted butter and Parmesan cheese. About all she would eat for a few years.

[pepperhead212]

If you're using parmesan and butter, it's not poverty food these days!